Productions tests of natural gas will begin today at Aphrodite A-2 in Block 12 of South Cyprus’ self-designated Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
President of the Cyprus National Hydrocarbons Company, Charalambos Ellinas, said that the drill stem test will test the pressure and quality of the deposits in Block 12. Test results should be ready in the coming weeks, he added.
Ellinas confirm that a second confirmatory drilling might take place at a later stage.
Noble Energy, Delek Drilling and Avner will carry out the so-called drill stem test with an estimated budget for the production tests at approximately USD 64 million.
Production tests are expected to last for approximately a month.
A drill stem test (DST) is a procedure for testing the pressure, quality and productive capacity of a geological formation during the drilling of a well.
Exploratory drilling carried out by Noble energy in 2011 revealed an estimated resource of 5 trillion cubic feet (tcf) to 8 tcf, with a mean of 7 tcf. Noble Energy began an appraisal well last June, with results expected late September.
Noble Energy operates Block 12 with a 70 per cent working interest. Delek Drilling Limited Partnership and Avner Oil Exploration Limited Partnership each own 15 per cent.
The cash-strapped South’s hopes for wealth lie offshore. Negotiations on the Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) Project Agreement have started with a target to complete them by the end of the year, Ellinas has said. The plan is to construct a 3 train LNG terminal with a possibility to extend the terminal to up to 8 production lines to potentially accommodate gas from other fields within South Cyprus’ self-designated EEZ’s and from neighbouring Eastern Mediterranean countries. The plan is to be ready to start exporting gas by 2020.
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